Topic: Flash photography

[Urban Hafner]

Hey everyone,

as I'll be using my Yashica Mat in combination with Fomapan 100 quite a bit next year I thought it might be a good idea to understand flash photography. With an ISO 100 film that's probably necessary for shots inside and/or in the evening.

So, do you have any sites and/or books where I can learn about this stuff? I really don't have the slightest idea when it comes to flash photography ...

Thanks.

[ChristopherCoy]

Hey everyone,

as I'll be using my Yashica Mat in combination with Fomapan 100 quite a bit next year I thought it might be a good idea to understand flash photography. With an ISO 100 film that's probably necessary for shots inside and/or in the evening.

So, do you have any sites and/or books where I can learn about this stuff? I really don't have the slightest idea when it comes to flash photography ...

Thanks.

Check out http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/

Specifically http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

Its a blog built around that other format of photography, but ISO100 is ISO100 so substitute 'Yaschica' anywhere it says 'DSLR' and you'll be ok.

[Francois]

Or just ask away
You know, we know everything around here 

[Urban Hafner]

Thanks Chris. I forgot about that site! I think that might be what I was looking for.

And Francois, yes I'm sure I'll have more questions 

[Francois]

Actually, while Strobist is nice, you might have some problems adapting the content to your Yashica. Thing is, the flashes on DSLR's are often used in TTL mode (through the lens). This is an automatic setting where the flash is entirely controlled by the camera. They also use either pocket wizard wireless triggers or the flash's internal infrared sync. These flashes make things very easy as you can simply remotely tell the flash next to aunt Bertha to overexpose by 1 stop and tell the one next to cousin Ernest to underexpose by 2 and let your fill light at -1 so that the daylight will still show through..... and stuff like that.

On the Yashica, you have to make sure the flash sync switch is on X. Connect the flash through the PC cable, select a shutter speed (they all sync since it's not a focal plane shutter). Then you set the computer on the flash to 100 ISO, focus, read the distance on the knob, report this on the computer, read the aperture and set it on the camera. That simple.

Or, if your flash has an automatic mode, you just set it on auto, put the dial in the proper position, check the required aperture and set it on the lens. That's it. The flash takes care of the rest by using its built-in light sensor. That's what I do on most toy cameras and the exposure (almost) always comes out OK. The good thing about this is that you don't have to focus and adjust the aperture by hand. That way you can work a lot faster.

[Sandeha Lynch]

All good advice.   IIRC, Hobby has an article on the site called 'Flash 101' which is the basics for off-camera flash.  This was written before most triggers could convey TTL information and is therefore good for manual syncing with manual flashes.  It's some four pages and is the only thing I ever really used on his site. 

All of my studio flashes are manual only and a flashmeter is a very handy tool to have.  They're also costly, and I sold mine when I bought a DSLR as it's accurate enough for my portrait needs.

[Urban Hafner]

Thanks guys. François and particular flash model you would recommend?

[Mab]

This website tells you basically all you need to know about using an external flash with your TLR:

http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-Guide/FZ-10/Ext-Flash/Flash-Auto-Mode.html

You need a flash which:

-can do A-mode (also called Auto mode or Auto Thyristor mode)
-is powerful enough
-has a swiveling head for bouncing the light (very important when shooting inside)

My recommendation is to pick up a Nikon SB-24 or a Nikon SB-28. If you have a digital SLR you can practice flash shooting with it, just use the camera in Manual mode like it was a TLR.

[Urban Hafner]

Thanks, I'll look for a SB-24 then.

[Francois]

Personally, I'm not at all attached to a specific brand.
A thyristor flash is a must as it helps save the batteries.

Older flashes use high voltage sync. While it's safe on mechanical cameras, they're also the best way to fry electronics in modern computerized cameras like my F-90x and all DSLRs.

I have a dedicated nikon flash and I must say it's quite nice. But I also have an older Metz potato masher which has power to spare and an old Braun (1980's vintage) which is simply flawless (though it makes some strange whizzing sounds when full). Vivitar makes some nice flashes too. For my toy cameras, I have a small automatic flash (a vesta) that uses only two batteries. It's easier to balance since the cameras are so light. Sunpak also makes some nice gear.

The thing with flashes is that they're all so similar in many ways that it's hard to say one is better than another.

Just stay away from flashes that are made specifically for Minolta cameras. These have a different hotshoe (their own design) that will not fit any standard accessory.

So, just look for something automatic with thyristor circuitry and you should be in business. The higher the guide number (GN) the better as it indicates how powerful the unit is. But, like I said, sometimes I'd rather trade power for portability. A holga with my big nikon flash has a strange balance (and it looks weird). With the small flash, it's not too bad.

If you plan on using it off camera, get a long enough cord at the same time.

And if you buy it used, just make sure you have the short cable included. The flash end of the cord doesn't always have the same connector.

[Ezzie]

Funny. I tried out flash film photography (non TTL) in earnest first time on Friday. I've been avoiding it like the plague. Put an SB22 on my Polaroid 110A/600SE. Wanted to do some party shots at rather short distance. Set the SB22 to A2, half power of A1, set ISO, read out the required f-stop and set that on camera, set shutter speed according to how much ambient light I wanted, and fired away. It worked very well. All I need now is to find a rule of thumb for fall off when using bounce.

[Mab]

All I need now is to find a rule of thumb for fall off when using bounce.

Ezzie, in most situations you don't need to adjust at all. Film is so adaptive you don't really notice it if you are a half a stop off.

[Francois]

For me, the rule of thumb when using bounce flash is to simply set it on auto.

Bounce flash is hard to calculate since the surface you're bouncing of is at varying distance, reflectivity and color.
Unless you use a bouncer fixed to the flash itself... but even then, the device scatters the light so that the distance it travels varies quite a bit.

With flash, the best thing is and always will be a flash meter. Spiratone used to make a cheap flashmeter that used a bunch of LEDs to indicate the correct aperture next to a sliding scale. It was pretty good and worked off a 9v battery.

I've found a similar (though not the same) meter made by vivitar. (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vivitar-Electronic-Flash-Computer-meter-/290827409398?pt=US_Light_Meters&hash=item43b6aa17f6)

There's also the boxy Wein meters...

[Urban Hafner]

Thanks guys, that was all very helpful and it doesn't seem to be as scary and complicated as I thought

[Francois]

You'll see, it's not as bad as some people say it is. Heck, even the people from Lomo can take flash pictures 

I know that just knowing this is going to be soooo helpful and reassuring 

[jojonas~]

just a side note to your project, remember to take reciprocity failure in mind for those longer exposures with your fomapan
http://consumptive.org/technical/Fomapan_100_Schwarzchild_Effect.pdf
http://www.flickr.com/groups/foma/discuss/72157626050157470/

[Urban Hafner]

Thanks Jonas. I have already shot Fomapan in my pinhole camera and failed so I know about it 

[jojonas~]

oh! Well, you live and learn. Right?